I started as a Firefighter in the fall of 1999 in Madison Township in Adrian, MI. I decided that I wanted to work full-time, so I completed my EMT Basic course and then my EMT Intermediate course. Next I went to Ann Arbor, MI and completed my Paramedic (EMT Advanced) course at the Huron Valley Center for EMS. All of my clinical hours (240) were completed at the University of Michigan hospital. After gaining some more experience on an Advanced Life Support Ambulance, I started working part-time shifts at two different fire departments as a paramedic.

I joined a veterans service organization as my father was drafted in to the Vietnam war, and this was a way that I could meet other patriotic Americans and give back to veterans. I decided to help with a fall clean-up at their retreat and had a tree fall on me during that event. I was taken to the University of Michigan emergency department for care. This event sealed the fate of my firefighting career. I tried a few jobs over the next couple of years that never made me happy, and then found out that some friends were opening a small brewery, the rest was history.

My wife and I were talking about moving to a warmer climate and her credentials and past work history and business relationships allowed her to find a new career path working from home. We landed in Tarpon Springs, FL after a short detour in the USVI and I began looking for a place to make our own. After a couple years of no luck, I was cellaring at the HOB Brewing Company in Dunedin and my boss told me that he knew of a small brewery that was for sale. I reached out to the previous owner and we made a deal that would lead to the opening of Truck & Ladder Brewing Company.